Day Six: A Minion's Day In

I have GOT to start going to bed before midnight, so the blog is taking a back seat to my sanity tonight. More for this entry later!

Ok , so I'm back to blogging after a crazy weekend, but I'll backdate so my 'flow' is uninterrupted (aka-posterity will never know :)

After our 'royal day out' it was time let slip the dream of royalty and get down to the business of being a modern-day minion. Both the laundry and the grocery situation needed some serious attention.
 So I stayed home while Richard went to class and did several loads of laundry in the tiny washer. 1 load = 1 pair of jeans, 2 t-shirts, PJs and socks. Then I hung it to dry on the drying rack and in the windows, as it was a (fortunately) sunny day with a breeze. I have NO idea how this will work when the weather is less pleasant!

I also headed out to check out the 'market' that happens at St. Katherine's Docks every Friday afternoon.  To my disappointment it was not fresh veggies and fruits, but it DID include various food carts of every kind of food imaginable selling prepared lunches, usually about 5 quid apiece. (1 quid = 1 pd).  No carbs again killing my food choice, I settled for some turkish meatballs in a red sauce and a cauliflower mix that was VERY turmeric-y. It wasn't bad for a one-time experience, but I'm not sure it would be a repeat. However, I can totally see why people would stroll over this direction for lunch on a work break, as we are in so close to the city, and St. Katharine's Docks (where we live) is quite lovely.

Several apartment/condiminiums surround the edges of what is a working docks with access to the Thames where small luxury yachts and boats are moored (for a fee that is probably a significant percentage of their total net value). I have also included some pics of the lovely apartment we share with another American couple, the Smiths. They are from South Carolina, and have lived and worked in London for 6 years (he is an LBS alumni).

 I also, finally, took some time late Friday evening to carefully peruse the grocery store (rather than fly through it at Richard-pace already late for somewhere else! Armed with the correct terms it was a little easier this time.

London Glossary:

Pots: Yogurt, Sour Cream, deli Soups etc. all come in similar containers as the US, which are referred to as 'pots,' which apparently describes anything in a container that would be referred to as a 'tub' back home, a tub of butter, of sour cream, ice-cream etc. As well as smaller mini-containers of the same shape, that are used to contain things that would usually NOT come in a pot or tub in the US (like candy, chips, or nuts).

Trolley: A shopping cart
Minced Meat: Ground Beef, Turkey or Lamb
Till: The Checkout counter
Quid: 1 pound, generally used to refer to denominations larger than 5, as in '5 quid, 10 quid' and sometimes just as 'a quid' meaning 1 pound. Rarely used for other numbers below 5, and never for uneven numbers, like 8.50 pounds.

While the sticker shock is still intense, some things can be purchased bulk, and dried grains like rice, barley and pasta are fairly reasonable. So much for my low-carb diet maintenance phase. I bought ingredients for lasagna and a beef and barley stew w/carrots and onions that should be pretty yummy.  I hope. Any barley stew recipe suggestions people? And lots and lots of yogurt! I also bought 3 more kinds of cheese to try! Yum! They have this system with cheese over here that is simply fabulous-it is all labeled with a number to indicate how 'sharp' or 'aged' it is! #1 is super-mild, and #7 or #8 is really really sharp (basically mold) and really expensive.

Very few of the cheeses are actually orange, but they taste the same!

Same system for the grated cheese!

And there are A LOT of kinds of cheeses! Here is a picture of the cheese section of the store. Did I mention I bought 3 different kinds to try?! I figure in 10 weeks we might work thru all the options.  My favorite so far has been a #4 Leicester Cheddar labeled "sweet and nutty" and cut in a wedge. It was AWESOME!

ALL cheeses, top to bottom, the whole distance!

By the time I was done with the shopping I was totally laden down and had a very full, (which is very un-British) 'trolley' of food. But I just cannot bear to waste time going to the store every 2 days, I can't, I can't! And since most of it was unrefrigerated I comforted myself that I could stash it in my alotted cupboard and no one need ever now how very American I still am.

Unfortunately, I reckoned without the walk home with all the grocery bags, something I should have had a better eye for from my car-less college days. Thankfully Richard was getting off the tube from school about the same time I got done (9:45 pm) and was able to come and rescue me. Happy Sigh. Where was my Sweetie all through college?!